KOLKATA: People suffered for the second consecutive day as bank employees continued with their strike across the country while ATMs in many business hubs places went dry with heavy pent up withdrawals.

Reserve Bank of India employees too joined the two-day nationwide strike paralysing cheque clearing operation, which may take a day or two to clear the backlog.

An RBI spokesperson said that no cheque was cleared for second day in succession but electronic clearing went on smoothly.

But, a majority of bank customer does not have netbanking access till date and even if they have, just a fraction of them does it using their personal computers. A large chunk of customers use electronic fund transfer facility at branches.

Public sector bank branches, which collectively corners three-fourth of the country's banking business, remained shut across the country while it was "business as usual" for private lenders in the financial capital Mumbai or in New Delhi.

"We were forced to down shutters in some states where agitators forced us to do so," an HDFC Bank official said.

The bank strike, which coincided with all-India industrial strike called by central trade unions, was in demand for early wage revision and against outsourcing of bank jobs.

Life in West Bengal remained normal but banking services were crippled in the state which has been known as cradle for bank trade union movements.

All India Bank Employees' Association president Rajen Nagar said: "Bank strike has been a success across the country."